Stop in the Name of Burgers

The Red Wing 'Dream Team' is heading towards Red Wing, Minnesota for this season's collection presentation. Our main man Matthijs is in good company when you consider Dan Dahl, Fred Bschaden, Gabor Magyar and Michael Williams at A Continuous Lean are all part of the crew. But not one meeting in the US can take off before one ate America's finest: A Burger.

Please share some sneak previews with us here guys!

Karakuri

Japan has always been a pioneer in creating cutting edge robotics. Jonathan shared an inspiring video with us this weekend of Hideki Higashino, one of the few remaining craftsmen that are determined to keep the history and tradition of Japanese Karakuri - the craftsmen making 'automata' - alive. Japan's modern robots can be linked to these Karakuri. Let the video speak for itself. Shot and edited by Matthew Allard.

Summer Tote Bag by Double RL

Double RL is a mystery in the business. Because of a strict 'no-online' policy the vintage label by Ralph Lauren is only available in an exclusive number of stores around the globe. Nothing of the 'Ricky and Ralph Lauren' goods will be distributed through official web-stores, but of course we will provide you with the best Double RL must-haves every once in a while. Have a look at this thick canvas tote bag by Ralph Lauren. This Double RL accessory is made from rough denim-like cotton canvas with a white sailor print on both sides and vintage leather handles. This is the perfect carrier for your laptop, newspaper and other basic needs on a lovely summer day. Available at the Red Wing Shoes store in Amsterdam in three different designs.

Project Smallholder - Take 1

My good friend and former classmate Ravi started a business a few years ago. He grows organic vegetables on his own allotment of about an acre in the centre of the Netherlands, selling the harvest on the market in Utrecht. He would forever complain about the quality of today's work boots so we decided to support him with a proper pair of Red Wing Shoes. Yesterday we enjoyed a lovely summer evening on the land. Sharing good stories and sweet memories around the fireplace. Here's Take 1, the start of a sequel with the Red Wing Shoes Store Amsterdam.

Pecos

The problem with putting stuff on display in the shop is that it typically only takes 5 minutes before somebody would like to buy it. This is what happened when we wanted to take some pictures of my Red Wing Pecos at Tenue de Nîmes. Because they aged really nicely and the indigo of Menno's Naked & Famous Broken Twill denim gave the boots a blue shade we thought it would be a nice pair to share on the blog. Unfortunately these images serve another purpose since one of our customers would not leave the shop without buying them from me. I guess I have to start all over again.

CS Bell x Tenue de Nîmes

Tenue de Nîmes have teamed up with Paolo Bellini, a Dutch vintage aficionado and founder of CS Bell. Bellini has created a very exclusive series of hand-made canoe packs for the Dutch denim store. The bags, produced in Amsterdam, are made of thick canvas and leather. The design of the large backpack is based on traditional canoe packs from North America. 

The heavy, army-green canvas has been treated with a precise mixture of wax and parafine to resist bad weather and water in particular. The shoulder straps are made of bridle leather straps, each four millimeters thick, that have been riveted on the pack by hand. Each bag is stamped 'CS Bell' on the inside.  A 'canal green' and beige Tenue de Nîmes expedition patch is found between the shoulder straps referring to the traditional Amsterdam-green color, often used to paint the bridges over the canals in the city centre. The packs are water-repellent and the spacious compartment makes it a great pack for everyday use.

The maker of the CS Bell packs is Paolo Bellini himself, as he was traditionally educated in the craft of leather and fur manufacturing. Being a devoted camper and having extensive knowledge of army and outdoor clothing, he decided make his own packs that would withstand the challenges of both the North Pole and the urban jungle. Backpacks made for a lifetime instead of a single season. 

The CS Bell X Tenue de Nimes Canoe Pack is exclusively sold at Red Wing Shoes Amsterdam at €299,90.

Wm. J. Mills Co. Laptop Bag

Wm.J.Mills is one of the brands we would love to team up with soon. In new York we came across this lovely blue canvas laptop bag with a tone-on-tone heavy zipper and the characteristic white logo patch on the side. Stay tuned for more great Wm.J.Mills Co. accessories.

Vintage Millitairy Omega

We came across another lovely vintage Omega tonight. Have a look at this stunning watch with an unbelievably clear black dial and nearly spotless steel case. The original stainless steel cathedral hands are in excellent condition. The Omega cal. 410 manual movement has 17 jewels and Incabloc shock protection. Its manual movement allows you to take a close look at it every morning when you wind it.

Vintage Red Wing Boots

Although nothing beats a new start, a blank piece of paper - boots are like denim: the more they are worn out, the better. We often put our vintage Red Wing boots on display and all day, every day, we get ridiculous offers from collectors who wish to buy them from us. We kindly tell them that selling the shoes would feel like turning away from a close friend. Luckily for them the internet is like a 'boot refugee camp' full of pairs that are desperate to find a new home. Like, for instance, the vintage Red Wing Irish Setters above. Show them some love people.

North Sea Knitwear

We are completely aware of the oddness of falling in love with a heavyweight British sailor knit when Spring hits Amsterdam, But we had to share this piece of art with you right after Joachim teased us tonight. You are looking at a lovely Shawl Collar Sweater by North Sea Clothing, made using the same British wool as the submariner. The sweater has a brass shank anchor collar button and a characteristic long waist rib. We will have to wait until we can rock this in real life - but until then we hope you enjoyed the teaser as much as we did.

Print 2.0 - Journal de Nîmes interviewed by Hypebeast.

Hypebeast's Eugene Kan interviewed us a few months ago on the redefinition of the 'Print Craft'. Kan was wondering if print is a dying specialty, or simply a medium that changed dramatically. To get an idea of what sort of views and beliefs are routed in both the young and established print world Eugene Kan at Hypebeast interviewed Clark Magazine’s Romain Dauriac, Inventory’s Ryan Willms, Green Soccer Journal’s Adam Towle, HIDDEN CHAMPION’s Hidenori Matsuoka and yours truly: Tenue de Nîmes’ Menno van Meurs. Here is a brief highlight from the interview:

EK:Based on your relatively niche content, do you think that the Internet has to play a crucial part in the marketing and awareness of your magazine and what it represents?
MM:Well the beauty of the internet is that you are able to get in touch with like-minded folks from all over the world in a split second. Thanks to great network with online media players, like Hypebeast, we are able to spread our thoughts and beliefs very accurately. You simply reach extremely committed audiences that especially go to blogs and websites to get this kind of specific content. This is how niche content gets a perspective. My marketing background makes me very interested in these kinds of changes in media. We came from a strict push paradigm and right now stuff has turned around dramatically. People come to you for content, not the other way around. So as long as you know where your audience hangs out they will learn about you eventually.

Read the full article and the rest of the interview here. Please let us know what you think.

KSK Commando Smock

My search for a good smock has continued since my previous posts in February. The SAS smock I wanted is hard to come by and since then I came across some other good ones. The KSK Commando Smock is one I found in my collection of Japanese literature. It features a 2-way zipper, hook-and-loop fastener, 2-much pockets and comes in various sizes. This type of jacket looks so much better than all the designer reproductions. The only thing might be the sizing. Increase your beer intake if you want to have this slim fitted. It costs 75 pounds on RawVintage.

Bike Portage Strap

People must think I am Dutch because I like to post about bicycles. That is indeed the truth. Yesterday I came across the accessories of Walnut Studiolo. These accessories for the bike are handmade in Portland, Oregon. They have designed some crafty looking stuff to use on your classic bicycles.

One of my favorites is the Bike Portage Strap. I live in Amsterdam and I am used to carrying my fixie up stairs, around road blocks etc. This does not hurt my shoulder, but the strap does make your live easier. In a very stylish way that is. Available on Etsy for $34,-

Bike Spoke Ring

There is no need to always use precious metals for jewelry. The implementation of a recycled wheel spoke is ingeniously inventive. It has a form that is almost immediately recognized and the soldered edges give the ring an industrial look. Available here for $55.

Tattoo Pin Up

Hubba hubba.. I haven't seen a lot of pin-up art including tattoos. It could be an original piece or maybe the tattoos were added later. Regardless, I love it. A quick search for some background only lead to the Deviant Art page of a girl nicknamed Gio Sama. Let me know if you know more about this piece.